Hay-cutter.



E. C. BLACK.

HAY CUTTER..

APPLICATION FILED JAN-29. I917.

11 ,262,739 Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

UNITED ERNEST C. BLACK, 0F SELMA, OHIO.

HAY CUTTEE- Specificati n of Letters atent.

Patented Apr. 16,1913.

Application filed January 29, 1917. Serial N 145,191.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Selma, in the county of Clark, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Cutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hay knives.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form of hay knife for cutting hay in stacks or bulk by whose use it is possible to avoid much of the eflort and strain which is required in the use of the ordinary hay knife which is known to me.

With the above and other objects relating to the details of structure which will hereinafter appear, in view, my invention will now be fully set forth and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in assembled form,

Fig. 2 is a vertical. section through the construction, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a tubular body or standard which terminates at its lower end in a slide plate or guide support The tubular standard 1 provides a housing and slideway for a shank'S of the knife 4, and the plate 2 receives the knife plate 4L flatly thereagainst, and guards and guides the latter. A vertical slot 5 formed in the guide plate 4 has projected therethrough the foot piece 6, one end of the foot piece 6 being passed through a suitable socket 7 in the plate and being secured therein by a nut 8 which is threaded onto the end of the foot piece. The foot piece operating in the slot 5 further guides the blade, and furthermore, projects far enough through the slot 5 to receive the foot of the operator, so. that pressure thereon will tend to drive the blade downwardly along the guide plate 2. {is stated, the shank 2 is guided and housed in the tubular casing 1, and its upper or free end is connected. to the lower end of a spring 9 which is also'housed in the casing 1 and has its opposite end secured to a bolt 10 which extends across the upper end of the asing The bol 1 is s cur l n p sition within the casing 1 by the nut 11, and its opposite end extends beyond the side of the casing to receivethe hand grip 12, the latter projecting at right angles to the'casing in convenient position for the use of the operator. A second hand piece 13 is located at a lower level and extends in the opposite direction to the hand grip 12, this hand grip being supported upon the shank of a loop 14 which surrounds the casing 1 and is clamped thereon by means of a nut 15 threaded upon the end of the shank and bearing against the hand grip 13 to draw the latter against the casing 1 and thereby clamp the ring 14 in position.

The lower end of the guide plate 2 is turned outwardly at right angles to the plate to provide a base, and riveted or otherwise secured to the lower face of the base 16 is one end. of a bowed guard 17 which extends forwardly and upwardly in a loop which guards the lower end of the device and provides a bearing surface which may be laid against, the hay body when the device is to be used, the upper end of the guard 17 being turned inwardly to overlie the forward edge of the plate 2, to which it is suitably riveted or otherwise fastened.

From the foregoing it will be noted that I have provided a simple and practical device for cutting hay, and that in its operation the device is practical and simple. Thus, when it is desired to slice the hay, the guard 17 is placed against the hay body, and. the operator holds the device upright by means of the hand grips 12 and 13. The foot is placed upon the foot piece 6, and pressure thereon will drive the knife 4: into the hay, and when pressure on the foot piece 6 is relieved, the spring 9 will return the knife to its normal position, and repetition of this operation while the device is rocked upon the guard 17 will cause it to cut through the hay.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and practical knife for cutting hay in which the parts are well guarded, and protected, and which may be used without danger or inconvenience to the operator.

What I claim as my invention is":-

A hay knife, comprising a tubular casing terminating in a guide plate upon the lower end thereof, said guide plate lying to one side of the casing and having a longitu dinal slot formed in its length, a knife blade operative against one face of said guide plate below said casing and having a shank extending upwardly into the easing, a spring also in the casing for returning the knife to hold the knife in an upper position, a foot piece carried by the knife and extending through said slot, hand grips carried by the casing, a base outturned from the 1- lower end of the guide plate, and a guard having one end secured to said base said guard curving upwardly and rearwardly and having its opposite end secured to the guide plate above said base.

In testimony whereof, I afiEiX my signature, 15

Wales at this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0, 

